The silent democratization: Portuguese parliamentary cooperation in the Lusophone countries

Abstract

This article analyzes the Portuguese parliamentary cooperation in the Lusophone countries through a study made in the Portuguese Parliament. The Portuguese parliamentary cooperation begun in the 1990s and has supported the Lusophone parliaments through a process of institutional isomorphism and institutional transfer. These tools aim to support the institutional autonomy of parliaments. This article describes the evolution of parliamentary cooperation in the Lusophone countries by taking into account the processes of democratization, as well as types of cooperation and the reactions to the reinforcement of parliamentary systems.